


Do we even exist?

by milkshakesandmurders



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M, One Shot, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 07:35:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12452661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkshakesandmurders/pseuds/milkshakesandmurders
Summary: “I’m Betty Cooper, by the way,” she reached her hand out, “and you would be?”“Jughead Jones,” he reached for her hand, and initiated the awkward hand shake. She could tell that he felt the electricity between them as well.





	Do we even exist?

 

* * *

 

 

“Shit!” she murmured under her breath, hopelessly watching her books fall to the floor. Students briskly walking past her, chatting about their busy weekends, totally oblivious to the new girl fumbling at her locker. She crouched down and started picking up her textbooks one by one, and slotting them into her backpack.

“You want some help?” the voice coming from above her.

She looked up, trying to calm down her quickening breath, “um, sure,” she smiled at the stranger, “this truly is the perfect way to start at a new school,” she spoke softly, her words laced with a tinge of sarcasm. She reached for the last book, at the exact same time the kind stranger did as well.  Not being able to ignore the electricity that was pulsing through her, at the slightest touch from this random boy, who she noted, was also wearing an odd shaped beanie.

“I’m Betty Cooper, by the way,” she reached her hand out, “ and you would be?”

“Jughead Jones,” he reached for her hand, and initiated the awkward hand shake. She could tell that he felt the electricity between them as well.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Jughead Jones,” noticing that they were both still crouching, she stood up first and straightened her clothes, “thank you for helping, I’d forget my head if it weren’t screwed on today, I swear,” she tucked one of her loose curls behind her hair.

“It’s fine, being the new kid sucks,” he shoved his hands in his pockets, and he readjusted the strange shaped beanie on his head; which she noted looked like a crown, and also noted it was Spring, a beanie wasn’t really necessary. It was cute, regardless.

“Yeah, it does. But, it is what it is, right?” Betty realised she had just giggled. And, she also realised that he noticed, and couldn’t help but feel just a little giddy at the colour in his cheeks all of a sudden, “Anyhoo, I should get to my first class, which happens to be English, what about you?” she was secretly crossing all of her fingers that he too would have English.

“Maths, I’d much prefer English though,” he smirked, just a little, but just enough to send Betty’s teenage hormones into total overdrive and possible meltdown.

“Oh, well, that’s a shame,” she held his eyes a little longer than what was probably necessary, and she cleared her throat, “I hope I see you around soon, Jughead Jones,” she fluttered her eyelashes and made her way down to the hall, hoping to all hope that she was going in the right direction to her class. Before she turned down another corridor, she twirled around, getting ready to smile her best flirty from a distance smile, only to have her hopes dashed when she saw he was no longer standing there.

*

Lunchtime had rolled around, and Betty made her way to the one empty table in the lunch room. The morning had gone relatively quickly, and smoothly, considering the textbook mishap earlier that morning. Betty had kept to herself in the classes. She liked to observe. She liked to take notes. She liked to learn about her surrounds. And didn’t much like to get involved.   
It was also helped by the fact that no one really seemed to notice her, anyway. It suited her well.  
As she sat in the corner, eating her lunch, minding her own business; she couldn’t help but notice a group of kids walking in, looking sombre.

It was a mood that she notices was all around the room. How she hadn’t noticed it earlier, she didn’t know. But everyone just looked, sad. This was bizarre.  
The boy with the football jacket, and striking red hair was being comforted by the gorgeous girl with raven curly hair, with what looked to be like real pearls around her neck. Betty could smell the money from where she was sitting. She certainly seemed out of the place, that’s for sure.  
There was another boy there, sitting opposite, he was comforting yet another red haired student, but her hair was short and curly.

Her attention was suddenly turned to him, Jughead Jones, making his way over to her. She stood and waved, not being able to hide her huge smile in amongst the sea of sad faces.  She was about ask him what was going on, why was everyone so sad, when the PA system went off.

_“If all students could make their way to the gymnasium for a special assembly.”_

  Betty was perplexed, this was peculiar, and she couldn't help notice the soft murmur that fell over the room, and the rush of people grabbing bags, and trays being thrown about. But, she gathered her things, took a few more bites of her apple, before grabbing her own tray and disposing the leftover food in the bin, and placing the tray on top. There was a sudden rush of students running past her, one of them knocking her bag off her shoulder, “Hey!” she yelled after him, but nothing.

Jughead picked her bag up, handed it over and simply shrugged, “it’ll happen, Betts,” he started making his way to the doors of cafeteria, turning around, “sometimes it’s like we just don’t exist, you know? It happens, but, it is what it is, yeah?” Betty nodded and also felt her heart pounding at the sound of the abbreviated version of her name falling from him lips, “sure, let’s go. I wonder what this important meeting is about.” Jughead shrugged, “who knows, but at least I get out of PE, woo!”  
Betty snorted, “touché, Jughead.”

There was a line of students making their way into the gymnasium, with Betty suddenly being hit with the same sombre feeling as earlier, she raised an eyebrow, “Juggie,” she murmured as she grabbed his arm, not realising the sudden abbreviation of his name and once again the colour flushing his face, “why is everyone so sad? It feels weird. Like, I should feel sad, but I have no idea why?”

“We’ll find out, Betts,” he grabbed her wrist and squeezed past a few people before finding a seat in the front bottom row. Betty sat down, nudging the person beside her, “Oh, I’m so sorry,” she looked over at the girl sitting next to her, expecting some kind of reaction, but got nothing.  
Betty shook her head and shrugged. Jughead was right, it’s almost like they didn’t exist.

Principal Weatherbee made his way up to the podium up front. The same sadness that was felt at lunch and just now prominent on his face. Betty felt herself starting to shake, whatever was about to be announced was obviously of a serious nature.

“Riverdale was faced with a tragedy this weekend. A tragedy that no words could possibly explain or describe. It’s hit us at home,” Weatherbee stepped back from the podium for a moment, needing to regain some kind of composure.

Instinctively, Betty grabbed Jughead’s hand. He returned her squeeze. There was a warmth that washed over her in that very moment.

Weatherbee returned to the podium, “Every single one of us is hurting today. Two families are without their loved ones; today, tomorrow and the next. Siblings have lost siblings, parents have lost their children. Friends here, have lost friends. Some considered family, even. A mistake from a drunken driver, has caused us to lose two of our own,” Weatherbee again, needed a moment of composure, “Elizabeth Cooper and Forsythe Pendleton Jones the Third, also known as Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones, were both ripped from our world.”

Betty felt Jughead’s hand squeeze hers a little tighter, leaning over and whispering in her ear, “It’s okay, Betts. We’re going to be okay. Everyone is going to be okay.”  
She looked over at him, and nodded, before turning around to a cold and empty gymnasium.

 


End file.
